Fluid-fuel heating apparatus and method of forming a combustible mixture



H. F. RODLER FLUID FUEL HEATING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF FORMING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE Filed Aug. 12, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet By ZWXA Nov. 27, 1928;

, H. F RODLER FLUID FUEL HEATING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF FORMING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE Filed Aug. 12, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE-E FIE-4 FL GA 7' GH/IMBER A TTURNE Y Patented Nov. 27, 1928 barren s'ra'rss PATENT @FFlCE.

HILMER I; RODLER, F DAVENPORT, IOWA FLUILILFUEL HEATIN G APL ABATUS AND METHOD OF FORMING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE.

Application filed August 12, 1926. Serial No. 128,857.

The present invention pertains to a method of mixing air and a linely divided fluid fuel to form a combustible mixture and improvements in the mechanism for breaking up fluid fuel and for mixing air with the finely divided fuel. Among the objects of this invention are to provide an improved method of mixing air and fuel; to provide improved apparatus for breaking up fluid fuel; to provide improved apparatus for mixing air with a fluid fuel, to provide an apparatus which will produce such a mixture of air and fuel that the mixture will burn more nearly in the middle of a furnace and thus avoid caking of unis burned fuel upon the furnace Walls, and such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as will hereafter appear and as are inherent in the construction and method disclosed herein.

My invention further resides in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing and, while I have shown therein what is now considered the preferred embodiment of 26 this invention, I desire it understood that this disclosure is illustrative only and shall not be takeii as limiting the scope of the invention.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof, Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section of an apparatus embodying m y present invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation taken from the right of l ig.l; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device for disintegrating the fluid fuel and forming a primary mixture of air therewith; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a modification of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, numeral 1 denotes the base of the present conto struction and numeral 2 an lip-standing wall secured to the base and supporting various parts of my construction. A pipe 3 leads into the space above the base l and back of the wall 2 and carries a collar 4 for adjusting the supply of air which is delivered to the air vanes 5. The pipe 3 serves to carry gas for mixture with air to form the initial ignition charge. W hen this becomes ignited beyond the mixing nozzle and fluid fuel is broken up and mixed therewith, the latter is ignited and the gas can be shut 0d, either automatically or manually. Also, if desired,

the gas can be left on and form a part of the mixture which is burned for heating purposes. Projecting from the back of the wall 2 is a flange 6 to which is secured, by means of screws 1', a hollow body member 7 in and on which is mounted the operating mechanism of my construction. Surmounting the body 7 is a motor 8 to the shaft 9 of which are socured driving pulleys l0 and 11. Preferably integrally connected at 12 with the body 7 is a body 13 upon which is mounted a valve 14: for regulating and controlling the supply of liquid fuel to the burner nozzle. This body 13 is preferably spaced from the body 7 as shown at 15 and a pair of pulleys l6 and 17 are mounted therein and cooperate with the pulleys l0 and 11, being connected thereto by belts l8 and 19. The body 13 is drilled and tapped longitudinally at 20 for the reception of a fuel carrying pipe 21 to which fuel is fed through the valve 14 which controls the supply of liquid fuel from the main fuel supply tank. The pipe 21 is preferably flanged as shown at 22 so that it will be screwed into the body 13 just the right distance. Just forwardly of p the flange 22 areopenings from the interior 59 of the pipe to the exterior thereof, these openings forming a passageway for oil to escape from the interior to the exterior of the pipe. and thus serve as lubricating means between the exterior surface of this pipe and the in- 5 'terior surface of the tube which turns thereon. As shown at 24 a portionv of the interior surface of the tube 23 is cut away in order to avoid feeding the oil with too much force along the surface of the tube 21 and also in so order to reduce the amount of surface of the two tubes in contact and causing friction. The internal surface of the tube 23, where not cut away is provided with a spiral groove to carry the oil from the perforations near the flange 22 to the opposite end of the tube. On account of the direction of the spiral-and the direction of rotation of the tube 23 the oil is fed forward along the contactin surfaces as by a screw. This prevents friction bewe tween the rotating tube and the fixed supporting tube upon which the rotating tube turns. A laterally opening nozzle 25 carrice the oil from the interior of the fixed tube and directs it outwardly against the conical interior surface 26 of the disinteg "ating nozzle which is secured to the forward end of tube 23, preferably by screw-threading, as shown at 27. The disintegrating nozzle comprises a rearward frusto-conical portion and a ring 28 secured thereto adjacent its forward end, preferably by means of integral posts. The rearward end of the ring flares outwardly rather sharply and the forward end increases more slowly in diameter. A ven turi 29 is provided in the wall 2 opposite the ring 28 and around this is mounted a tire brick or other fire resisting structure having a flaring opening 31 wherein the mixed gases may expand and commence to burn.

An air admission opening 32 is formed in the wall 2 and is covered by a pivoted plate 33, the latter being normally held closed or substantially so by a spring or equivalent means 34:. The pivoted plate or gate may be fastened open in adjusted position by means of a screw 35 or equivalent means. Opening 36 aligns with the opening 32 and permits air to pass therethrough and through the opening 32 .to supply the combustion needs of the device.

A. bronze or similar bearing 37 is mounted in thebody 7 and serves to support the rotatable sleeve 38 which has secured thereto at its rearward end the pulley 16 and at its forward end the flanged sleeve 39. This latter carries the air vanes 5 at its forward end. the vanes rotating in the opposite direction from the disintegrator by reason of the crossed belt 18 which reverses the direction of rota tion of the Pulley 16.

The chamber 40 in the lower portion of the body 7 is filled with lubricating oil through the filling opening ll and this oil is carried to the bearing bushing 37 by the Wick 4:2. This wick is inserted through an opening in the bottom of the body 7. The opening is closed by means of a screw threaded plug 43 which may be removed to drain the oil and any sediment which may collect in the opening 40.

Tn operation of the above described construction, the gas is turned on in pipe 3, preferably auton'iatically, and the motor 8 started at-the same time. This causes rotation of the fan, the vanes 5 of which force the air outwardly through the venturi, drawing the gas and air inwardly through the bottom of body 7. Any suitable ignitor, such as a hot wire or a spark plug, is located in fr'ont of the (lisintegrator but preferably within the opening 31. This ignitor causes the mixture of air and gas to be ignited as it passes out wardly through this opening and, as the oil is fed to the disintegrator and broken up thereby, it is mixed with air driven forwardly by the vanes 5 and becomes a combustible mixture which is ignited by the burning'gas. A Very important feature of this invention and this, in conjunction with the opposite rotation of the air and fuel, causes an intimate mixture thereof. The heavier particles of fuel thrown off from the forward end of the disintegrator nozzle will strike the ring 28 and will move along the surface thereof and be further broken up at-its forward end and thrown off tangentially, with a somewhat spiral motion. The air passing through the venturi 29 will have a counter swirl to that of the fuel and a further and more intimate mixture of these will take place on this ac count. This method of and apparatus for breaking up fluid fuel and mixing the same with air is extremely important-since it produces a thorough mixture and does not force the mixture out with such velocity that the flame largely breaks against the opposite wall. In this construction, the flame occurs approximately in the middle of the space be tween the fire resisting element 30 and the.

opposite wall of the furnace. The intimate mixture and the burning thereof out of con- ,tact with any surface results in a complete combustion and no caking of the fuel on the surface. I

In the constructionshown in Fig. l, the supporting member 21 is apertured at 45 for aportion only of its length, the remainder thereof being solid. A cross opening 46 connectedwith the longitudinal opening 45 leads the fuel outwardly to the spiral groove on the interior surface of the tube 23 In this construction, the pulley 17 rotates the tube 2; a similarly to the way in which the other construction operates. through the openings 4:5 and t6 and the spiral groove 47 is carried forwardly by the latter and delivered to the interior surface 26 as in the/previouslydescribed construction. It will be noted that in thisconstruction the fuel is carried entirely by the groove l7 and that there is no cut-away portion 24 for reducing the suction effect of the groove. The oil is drawn from a float chamber 5 .8 through pipe 49 tofithe oody 13, increased feeding thereof being caused by increasedspced of rotation of tube 2 The feed of air and oil being governed by the speed of rotation of The fuel passing ofthe motor can be regulated to produce the size of flame and amount of heat desired.

It is of course understood that the specific description of structure and method set forth above may be departed from without depart ing from'the spirit'of my invention as set forth in this specification and the appended claims. v

Having now described my invention, I claim: v

1, In a device of the character indicated, a pipe rotatable about its longitudinal axis, a hollow member surroundingsaid pipe and rotatable in the-opposite direction therefrom, air vanes carried by said hollow member near the extremity of the rotatable pipe, a tapered nozzle carried by the pipe and having its delivery end slightly beyond the air vanes, and means for feeding fluid fuel to said pipe.

2. In a device of the character indicated, a pi 3e rotatable about -its longitudinal axis,

a ho low member surrounding said pipe androtatablein the opposite direction therefrom,

air vanes carried by said hollow member near the extremity of therotatable pipe, a tapered nozzle carried b the pipe and having its delivery end slig tly beyond the air vanes, and means for feeding fluid fuel to said pipe, said nozzle having a secondary nozzel rigidly connected therewith and extending slightly therebeyond.

3. In a machine of the character described, a pipe mounted and rotatable on a substantially horizontal axis, said axis having a longitudinal bore for carrying fluid fuel, said pipe having an internal spiral groovecommunicating with the longitudinal bore of the axis and receiving fluid fuel therefrom, a connection from the longitudinal bore to a Source of fuel pp y, a flaring nozzle on the P p nd means for mdelivery end of said tating said pipe.

4. In a machine of the character described, a pipe mounted and rotatable on a substantially horizontal axis, said pipe receiving fiuidfuel frdm a source of fuel supply, a flaring nozzle on the delivery end of said pipe,

a ring mounted upon and secured to the outer end of said nozzle and projecting beyond the end thereof, means for rotating said pipe, a fan surrounding-said pipe and rotatable on a substantially horizontal axis, and means for rotating same relatively to said pipe and independently thereof.

5. In a mechanism of thecharacter described, a substantially horizontal "bearing, a sleeve mounted and rotatable therein, an air agitator carried by said sleeve, a supporting member extending substantially axially through said sleeve, a second sleeve, said second sleeve surrounding said supporting member and being rotatable thereon within the first sleeve, a nozzle carried by said second sleeve, and means for rotating said sleeves relatively to each other.

6. In a mechanism of the character described, a substantially horizontal bearing, a sleeve mounted and rotatable therein, an air agitator carried by said sleeve, a supporting member extending substantially axially through said sleeve, a second sleeve, said sec ond sleeve surroundin said supporting member and being rotata le thereon within the first sleeve, a nozzle carried by said second sleeve, a motor mounted in proximity to the aforesaid parts and connections fromthe motor to said sleeves whereby said sleeves may be rotated in o posite directions.

7. In a mec anism of the character described; a substantially horizontal bearing, a sleeve mounted-and rotatable therein, an air agitator carried by said sleeve, av supporting member extending substantially axially through said sleeve, a second sleeve, said second sleeve surrounding said supporting memmay be rotated in opposite directions, said:

second sleeve carrying at its forward end a fuel disintegrating nozzle, said nozzle coop crating with the air from the air agitator'to break up fluid fuel and mingle it with said air. 8. The method of forming a mixture of air and fluid fuel, comprising twice mechanically breaking up the fuel to produce an oil mist and driving air therethrough in direct and reverse spirals, under high velocity, the oil mist being interrupted by an air spiral immediately after each mechanical break, the air having a high velocity when interrupting the oil mist at the firstbreak and having a lower velocity when interrupting the oil mist at the second break.

9. In a machine of the character described, a rigidly mounted substantially horizontal pipe, a pipe mounted and rotatable thereon,

said last named pipe receiving fluid fuel from a source of fuel supply, a flaring nozzle 'on secured to said nozzle and .prmecting'beyond the end thereof, and means for rotating said last mentioned pipe.

10. In a machine of the character described, a rigidly mounted substantially horizontal pipe,- a-pipe mounted and rotatable thereon,

.said last named pipe having an internal spiral groove receiving fluid fuel from a source of fuelsupply, a flaring nozzle on the delivery end of said rotatable pipe, and means for rotating said last mentioned pipe.

Inwitness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

HILMER F. RODLER. 

